Travelers urged to keep it local in the name of sustainable tourism

From rolling vineyards to beautiful beaches, there’s no shortage of beauty to discover in our own backyard.

A University of South Australia tourism expert is urging travelers to support local destinations and experiences close to home, rather than long-distance international travel, to reduce tourism’s impact on the environment.

Adjunct senior lecturer in tourism management, Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, says we should consider more local travel and do everything we can to reduce unnecessary emissions.

She says space travel, private jet travel and mass travel to remote and extreme environments such as Antarctica are “unethical” and contribute to a culture of privileged overconsumption.

“In these circumstances it is difficult to justify tourism to Antarctica. We have to question our use of cruises or flights in our tourism consumption,” she says.

“We need to create a cultural shift that views tourism consumption as a luxury we can enjoy and not something we can have every year or several times a year, as many in the Global North are used to. and domestic travel and lower expectations of long-haul international travel are a must.”

The Global North, i.e. the Northern Hemisphere, is responsible for 92% of global emissions.

In recent research, Dr. Higgins-Desbiolles on University of Cumbria professor Jem Bendell’s ‘deep adaptation’ analysis, which argues that the collapse of civilization is likely or even already underway due to continued dependence on fossil fuels and emissions, an opinion that is shared by others. including naturalist David Attenborough and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The work has been published in the Journal of Tourism Futures.

Dr. Higgins-Desbiolles outlines how tourism contributes to the depletion of natural resources, pollution, overconsumption and environmental destruction. She also reflects on the 2023 Hawaii wildfires on the island of Maui, which claimed 100 lives and destroyed the town of Lahaina. Residents lacked the water supplies to fight the fires due to years of overconsumption by golf courses, hotels and tourism businesses.

She advises travelers to be more careful when choosing holiday destinations and consider the impact of their activities on the environment.

“Tourism should be defined by the local community, with decision-making controlled at the lowest level and an emphasis on the interrelationships between people, places, ecology and all living things. We need to slow down – stay longer, stay local, be thoughtful with our holiday choices,” she says. “There are so many resources out there, like the Rise Travel Institute or The Travel Foundation, that are shedding light on sustainable, responsible and equitable tourism.

“It’s about respecting the destination, paying attention to codes of responsibility and making yourself aware of the culture and challenges faced by the communities you visit. I encourage people to be more aware on their next trip: staying in one place longer, travel slower, take nature walks, immerse yourself in the culture, try to leave the destination in a better place than how you found it.”

Tourism Research Australia predicts that domestic travel will see only moderate growth over the next five years, largely due to increased competition from international outbound travel, which is expected to continue to rise.

The tourism sector is responsible for 8% of total global carbon emissions, yet the Tourism Panel on Climate Change – an international body of climate scientists and tourism experts – is focusing on climate-resilient, profit-first tourism, rather than to focus on the industry’s contribution to the environment. destruction.

Dr. Higgins-Desbiolles says it’s up to everyone to make more environmentally conscious travel decisions.

“We need to see that all governments are willing to better regulate and regulate tourism. For example, France has passed legislation banning short-haul flights – the mode of transport that contributes the second largest to emissions – when a train journey of less than 2.5 hours is possible.” she says.

“Meaningful change is needed at every level; governments, organizations and travelers must focus their attention on sustainable and climate-just tourism.”